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In my experience, life.

Boys Clothing Hacks that Lead to Success

I’m certain you’ve heard the phrase “dress for success.” Adults do it all the time. When I have an interview, I dress up. If I’m meeting someone new, I carefully assemble an outfit. When I’m heading out on a date with my husband or to an event with friends, I put extra effort into what I wear. Often it’s because I want to make an impression, feel confident or just express myself creatively.

Although, did you ever think this idea–the psychology behind clothes–could be applied to kids, too? After all, our clothes are sometimes an extension of who we are and how we feel about ourselves. As a mom, I decided to dig a little and use this theory to my advantage to find out how I can dress my son for success, foster confidence and encourage creativity.

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So whether you’re minimalist, gender neutral or just wanting to buy some freakin’ back-to-school boys clothes, here are three simple tricks for helping your boys dress for success, along with the science behind them.

The Psychology of Color

Colors affect how people perceive their surroundings. Although color theory isn’t an exact science, different colors of clothing can directly contribute to others’ perception of a person. Even though my toddler won’t be going for an interview anytime soon, and I don’t care a whole lot about how others perceive him just yet, the color of his clothes may also affect his own mood. And that’s a parenting hack I can get onboard with.

Each color has a different affect on people. For example, red generally means stop–it’s often associated with anxiety, excitement or fear. One study suggests it might even increase reactive speed and strength. Darker shades and colors supposedly exude power, and so on. So, how does this help you as a parent? I have a trick. Shades of blue are typically associated with a calming effect, and it may also have a positive influence on creativity. So whether you’re dressing your high schooler authoritatively for his interview or trying anything you can to wrangle your high-energy threenager, clothing colors can be your best friend.

The Confidence of an Outfit

Whether we realize it or not, many times what we wear can affect our demeanor. When I’m working from home, if I don’t make a point to get dressed for the day, I notice my mood slipping over time. When I dress well or feel good in what I’m wearing, I’m more confident and energized. Same goes for our kids.

Studies show clothing can affect your mood and boost confidence, and one expert goes as far as saying that certain clothes–including superhero shirts– can create more confidence in numerous situations. As a parent, if you’re looking for fun ways to help create confidence as your kid heads back to school or participates in an upcoming event, let them pick out new clothes or help them put together an outfit they feel good in. It could make all the difference.

It’s a major priority for so many parents to foster creativity, encourage independence and make sure kids feel like they can express themselves freely. Although letting your kids pick out their own clothes may be slightly embarrassing for mom and dad, it’s actually a really simple and fun way to encourage thought process, autonomy, personal style and of course, creativity.

10 thoughts on “Boys Clothing Hacks that Lead to Success”

This is awesome! I never thought how important dressing my boys could be. I’m going to make sure I get some more calming colors right away! I always pick out their clothes, but I need to start letting them make the choices and getting creative.

It was really interesting for me to think about it that way, too. My son’s been fighting off some gunk the past couple weeks, and of course more dramatic and grumpy than usual. I just started dressing him (and myself) in some lighter blue shirts, so we’ll see if that mellows him out anymore 😉

So true! My reaction is just to pick my son’s clothes out for him versus my daughter who wants to pick out her own clothes. I think it pushes my son to be more creative and more independent in areas I’m just so used to not thinking about when I step back and realize: he’s just as capable!

Great post!! I never even thought about some of these things, especially the colors. My son is just now starting to take notice of his own fashion, so it will be interesting to see how he starts to pair things up and how I can help him.

This is such a good article! My little guy LOVES wearing superhero shirts and outfits. He’s been so shy, but I can notice him coming out of his shell, and playing a lot more and being more confident when it comes to making friends!

I love this! Do you have any girl clothing hacks lol?! I never really thought about how the color we were can affect us, but it’s totally true. I always feel more vibrant and happy when I wear bright colors. Really cool post!

I’m actually thinking about doing a follow-up to it. I primarily focused on boys because with my daughter I’ve always focused on her clothes and letting her pick them out or having fun with them, but with my son, I’ve just kind of ignored it and done it all for him. I do think there have got to be some benefits for girls, too, that I haven’t thought of!